


A minute of your time

by Remdel



Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, First Love, First Time, Friendship/Love, Horizon zero dawn spoilers, Injury, Moaning, My First Fanfic, Romance, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2018-12-23 11:30:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11988900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Remdel/pseuds/Remdel
Summary: Basically the fic I am writting because I ship these two so hard and I got inspired to start writting by other works and authors found here.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic and first chapter ever so don't judge me harshly. I am also not native english speaker and I would be thankful for any feedback about my possible language mistakes.  
> Enjoy!

"Now I see that I was just lucky to have a minute of your time", he sniffed, his voice sounded a bit sad. "Try not to forget about me while you're out there, changing the world."

"I'll always have a minute for you. Maybe even two", she admitted. She was trying to cheer him up with a joke but also meant what she said. She liked him, he was probably the closest person to a friend for her.

"Two! Ha! She likes me!", he laughed. She was about to leave when the idea came to her mind.

"I'd like to teach you something, Erend. Can we meet nearby the city gates?"

***

He looked confused as she whistled and tamed charger appeared within a few moments. They were in the forest, standing on the crossway. She didn’t explain her plans to him.  
"Well, try to get use to it while I get another one for myself.", she said, and he immediately responded in the way she was expecting him to.  
"What the hell, Aloy? Am I supposed to ride this... Thing?! The fact I've seen you on these doesn't mean that I can do it either!"  
She didn’t pay any attention to his lingering and she just disappeared in the forest.

Erend realised that in fact he didn't have much choice. He took a few steps forward, closer to the machine. He felt nervous. He had only seen these this close while they were crushed with his hammer. He put his hand on its head. He heard some sounds it made, but they were not aggressive. Its sharp and dangerous horns were stable, surely not going to hurt him. He tried to mount it and he fell down at first, his back hitting the ground. He was out of breath. He heard leaves moving and a laugh. Oh, her laugh was so nice to hear even in this circumstances. 

It took Erend a few moments to learn how to mount and control the machine, but she could see that he was getting used to it.  
"Wanna take a trip?"  
"Uhm, sure", he answered although he didn’t seem confident about this.  
"We will take it easy at first, dont worry." 

***

The sun had already set but the sky was shining with stars and moonlight was bright enough to see. Erend eventually seemed to enjoy riding the machine, sometimes forcing it to canter just to practise and for fun. She didn't race him, riding in stable gallop. She enjoyed the rhythm, fresh air of the desert’s chilly night cooling her face and body. She hated the heat of Meridian. She closed her eyes and pulled her head back. She felt relaxed and safe and even though Erend was away for a moment, she lost her attention.

She realised her own mistake when she heard charger emitting warming sound, but it was already too late. She didn't even have a second to react when she felt strong hit which made her mount fall over. She didn’t manage to jump out of it and she shouted with pain when she hit the ground. Charger crushed her leg with its body. The machine was dead. And she was unable to move her body with her leg overwhelmed.  
She curled up, hearing that the Sawtooth was about to charge again.  
This time might be deadly also for her.  
She was almost prepared for it, she knew that she will be hit just in one moment. She turned her head a bit to see the Sawtooth jumping up her, she shut her eyes to prepare for the hit, for the pain. For the death.

 

These didn't come.  
Instead she heard metal crushing while Sawtooth's side was hit. She heard machines' voices, metal crushing, pieces of armor falling at the ground and she still didn’t realise what was happening till she heard a long scream full of rage.  
When she opened her eyes and turned her head she saw Erend jumping at the ground and catching his hammer, immediately charging and hitting the head of lying machine with all his strength.  
Sawtooth didn’t even have time to move before Erend's hammer crushed its head, shutting it down in one moment.  
She exhaled, the danger was away. Then she realised that she is lying in pool of blood. She passed out, the last thing she noticed with her senses was his voice, shouting her name.

***

He groaned while he was pulling the dead machine. Eventually he managed to get Aloy free but it wasn't the end of his problems. Fortunately, his own mount was still there, alive. But she...  
Aloy was unconscious, he could see her leg broken, skin of her thigh cut deeply where sharp pieces of metal reached it. He had seen many wounded people before and he knew it wasn't deadly, but the blood loss would be dangerous if he didn’t patch her up.  
The problem was that they were several miles away from any human settlements, in the middle of night, unprotected, where machines could just come and get them.  
He tried to wake her up but he didn’t manage to. He looked at her leg. The wound wasn't open, fortunately, but the bone was broke for sure. He cut some length of rope which Aloy was having with her and he tied her legs together for stabilization of the broken one. He also found some bandages in her pocket which he used for her cuts. He also took her gear.  
He couldn't do any more in this circumstances. 

He walked his charger closer to her. He grabbed her, trying to be as gently as he could, but she groaned quietly and he heard her voice when my she was already in his shoulders. "What is going on? Erend?" she whispered. Her voice was so weak.  
"Your leg is broken. I need to take you back to Meridian. I am sorry, your ride won’t be comfortable, but I had to tie your legs together. Will you handle it? Will you be able not to fall if I put you there for a moment?"  
She nodded and she felt him pulling her up. She embraced charger's neck, trying not to fall down with her legs on one of its side. She was only thinking about holding it strong enough. In a moment Erend was mounting the charger and he grabbed her body with one arm, pushing her against his chest.  
"Just hold on, it will be okay, I promise", she heard him saying before passing out again, trusting him with her life.

***

He wasn't that sure if it would be okay or not. Probably not, he thought.  
But anyway it was going quite well so far. He didn’t dare to canter, keeping just slow gallop, so as she didn’t have a chance to fall down. He was avoiding every group of machines which he spotted. They had been just passing through them before at full speed, knowing that they cannot chase them. Now he had unconscious Aloy to take care of.  
He was angry with himself. He had assumed that she can take care of herself and he’d stopped paying attention to her, excited with his new ability to ride machines. She had probably been sure that he’d been watching her back and this is why she’d lost her alertness. This was his fault that she was attacked. He felt like a piece of shit. And he knew that now she is still in danger. What if her wounds were more serious than he thought? What if they get attacked now? What if she dies?  
He couldn't imagine letting another woman so important to him and to the world die because he simply couldn't watch her back… 

***

She woke up. At first she was confused. Why is the ground moving so fast? Why is someone holding her? Her legs tied up...  
Was she caught?! 

She looked up and felt a huge relief, seeing pale chin with mutton chops on its sides. She slowly started to realise what happened. That he saved her life. She closed her eyes, trying not to think about pain in broken leg and her wounds. She was rocking rhythmically with running charger, seeing world covered with moonlight and sky full of stars when she opened her eyes. She felt him holding her and despite all the circumstances, she suddenly felt safe. She was about to fall asleep, sound of wind and running machine like a lullaby in her ears. Then she felt watched and she opened her eyes. He was looking at her. Was it tear on his cheek? Her eyes fluttered and then it was gone. Maybe she was imagining that?

"It is okay, Aloy. We were getting closer. Hold on. You can sleep if you want, I won't let you fall."  
He was looking at their way again. "Thank you, Erend... I don’t trust anyone more than you." she mumbled, embracing him with her arms. He felt like a safe shelter, guarding and holding her like this. She didn’t notice him holding his breath as she did this. She fell asleep within minutes, her body tired with healing itself. 

***

When he eventually spotted Meridian, the sky was already turning bright on the east. He was exhausted, but he knew that he cannot give up now. He was really getting close. He looked at her. She was wrapping her arms around him, with her face so calm. He could only dream about such a view.  
But he had to admire that in his dreams circumstances were pretty different. 

***

Sun have just started rising when Meridian guards spotted charger running to them. They were confused at first, getting their bows ready. But then they realised that charger's light wasn't red like it was attacking and that there was a Vanguard captain mounting it.  
They started moving and sent message to the palace when they spotted what... **who**  he was holding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I'd be thankful for your feedback.  
> Should I even continue?


	2. Chapter 2

When she opened her eyes, she was confused with the view of lavish room which she was in. It seemed that it was already afternoon, looking at the huge window. She tensioned as she spotted someone sitting on the chair next to the bed she was lying on. She eased, realising that it was him, sleeping with quiet snores. She started to remember what happened. They were away from Meridian when she got wounded and he had to hold her during the ride... and he had to do this all night. And it seems he also stayed with her till now.  
Someone took good care of her wounds and gave stabilization to her leg with bandages and a carved piece of wood, but she still knew that it will be a problem for a few weeks at least. She was obviously in the palace but why was Erend still there? He was surely extremely tired. What is more, he had better things to do as a Vanguards' captain. She was sure he could make anyone, including Sun King himself, look after her.

"Erend... Erend!" She whispered, pulling her hand to touch his. He woke up, looking at her, confused for a few seconds.  
"Oh! Aloy! You are awake!" he cheered up and looked like he was just about to come and hug her, but changed his mind, crouching by the bed. He held her hand with his.  
"I am so sorry..."  
Such a guilt in his eyes. What was he sorry for? He saved her life!  
He released her hand, covering his face.  
"I am such a stupid dumbass, Aloy... You almost died because of me! Because of my stupid assumption that I don’t have to watch your back and I can just have fun. I didn’t deserve the time you gave me."

He felt her hand, grabbing his, pulling it away from his face. She was looking deep into his eyes with her mimics firm and he almost gasped. She was so beautiful and looked so strong even lying there, wounded, so little without her armor or gear.  
"Erend, this wasn't your fault that I was attacked. I knew that you are away for a moment and I still didn't stay alert as I should have. I was attacked because of myself. And I would die because of myself if you didn't safe my life." She squeezed his hand a bit.  
"I cannot even say how happy I was that you was watching over me, Erend" she added with a sincere smile, the look of her eyes softened.  
He couldn't help. He leaned and gave her a soft kiss in the forehead before she could react.  
He realised what he is doing and moved back, panicked. He noticed that she blushed and he felt his own face turning red. Fortunately at the same time someone knocked and the door opened a second later.  
Avad took a few steps in, greeting them and expressing how happy he is to see Aloy awake. King asked Erend about leaving them alone and after what he did - he couldn't want anything more.

***

She was confused but had no chance to explain anything as Avad came and Erend immediately left the room.  
"What happened to him that he left so quickly?" Avad asked, crouching as Erend just did "He didn’t want to leave you alone for a minute after he got you in here. I asked him to go out now with a hope that he will eventually take any care of himself."  
She couldn't do anything but shrugging her shoulders. She still didn't really get what happened.  
"I hope you feel better, Aloy. We took care of your injuries but you won't be able to use your leg fully for some period of time and you lost pretty much blood. I am sorry. Anyway, you can stay in the palace as long as you want." he ended, smiling at her. She nodded.  
"Thank you, Avad."  
"Anything for you, Aloy. I owe you a huge debt. The whole Meridian owes you." He stood up.  
"You need a rest. Should I leave you alone for a while? Or maybe you want me to bring the healer? There is some food prepared for you" he said, pointing the plate on the table on the other side of her bed. "And your gear is here in this chest. If you needed anything, there are always guards by the door outside. Just call."  
"I'd like to be alone, thank you, Avad." she answered, a little overwhelmed with all the information.  
He was just about to leave when she added "Ask Erend to visit me later, can you?"  
"As you wish, Aloy. But give him some time to rest." he said and closed the door behind him.

She took some fruit from the plate, realising that she is really hungry. After she ate she felt sleepy again. She was weak after her blood loss. She couldn't stop thinking about Erend's behaviour. This kiss... It was a friendly one, right? Like the ones Rost sometimes gave her before sleep when she was little. Erend was flirting with her sometimes but he was this type of guy. But if so, why he escaped like this?  
She eventually got tired of thinking about it and she fell asleep again.

***

Gentle knocking woke her up. The sun was already setting.  
"Come in.", she said with her voice raised a little. The door opened slowly, showing Erend's face.  
"I hope I didn't wake you up.", he said, concerned.  
"You did, but don't worry. Nora savages don't know that civilized people should sleep at night hours."  
He giggled, sitting on the chair.  
"You know, you are probably much more clever than any person who dares to call you a savage, Aloy." he said, his voice serious. "How do you feel?"  
"Better, but still weak. Would be much worse without your help."  
He scratched the back of his head.  
"Healers said that you were lucky that my level of medical skills didn't kill you... and even helped."  
She laughed.  
"By the way, when are you going to the Claim?", she asked. He looked a bit abashed.  
"I don't really know."  
"Why? I thought you have it planned yet."  
"I had." he answered. He was avoiding looking into her eyes. "I just changed my mind. I thought that I shouldn't leave until you recover."  
"You don't have to do this, Erend. You should be able to mourn your sister with your people." she said, surprised.  
"I can't look after her anymore. She is dead and I can't change this. Alive are more important than dead."  
"But you don't have to look after me, Erend."  
"I want to.", he said simply.  
"I can take care of myself perfectly!", she shouted, annoyed.  
He looked into her eyes eventually.  
"Don't you think that it sounds pretty ridiculous after what happened to you?", he answered, slightly outraged.  
She shut her mouth and looked down.  
"I am sorry, Erend. You are right.", she confessed, suddenly feeling guilty.  
"It is okay if you don't want me to watch over you. I can let you go.", he said quietly, suddenly calm. She didn't know why, but she felt hurt.  
"This wasn't what I meant..."  
"What did you mean, though?" He sounded a bit sad. And hurt.  
"I didn't have anyone watching over me since Rost died. I just feel like I should always take care of myself without anybody's help."  
His mimics softened and so did his voice.  
"I sometimes forgot that they made you an outcast. I can't imagine how cruel they had to be to treat someone like you this way."  
"I was lucky that they outcasted me rather than killing me after I was born."  
He looked shocked.  
"They would kill a newborn baby?!"  
"It's complicated. I was found inside their sacred mountain. Many people thought that I am a cruise. Some still think so."  
"I am sorry to say this, Aloy, but your tribe is truly savage."  
"I can't blame them for what they believed in for centuries, but I don't really feel like I belong to their tribe. Actually... I don't feel like I belong anywhere."  
"You can belong here, in Meridian. You saved this city. I am sure Avad will give you a house just if you ask him."  
"It isn't just about place. I wouldn't feel like I belong here anyway. And I feel bad, staying in the palace."  
"You can stay with me if you want."  
She looked at him, confused.  
"I mean, my couch is comfortable enough to sleep or I could take Ersa’s room, you can have my room for a while, before you find a better place and I could watch over you until you recover and, uh...", he stopped, embarrassed. "Sorry, I went too far."  
"No, Erend. I will... Think about it.", she answered, predicting that staying in the palace will really tire her.

***

Avad was trying to provide her literally anything she could need. And this was exactly what she was expecting, and what was absolutely the worst part of staying in the palace. She had so many servants for her use, so many people asking to help her that it was literally driving her mad. This is why, after few more days, she was almost sure that moving to Erend will be much better for her even if it will be a little awkward.  
He was visiting her every day and she was very thankful for their nice chats. She was getting really tired of Avad and Blameless Marad and all the servants and guards. She liked Carja, but living with them was tiring for her. She wasn't sure what was worse - Nora, talking about their All Mother all the time, or Carja constantly speaking about their Sun God. It didn't bother her as long as she wasn't spending all her time with them. And she really didn't get the palace way of living. She didn't like nobles, fancy clothes she was asked to wear, fancy food to eat, lavish rooms and all about it. She knew that it wasn't Avad's fault that it all looked this way, he couldn't do anything to change it. She didn't blame him, she was thankful that he gave her so much help.  
She just really wanted to escape from this golden cage.

They were sitting on the terrace with the view on setting sun, she had her healing leg straightened comfortably. They were chatting casualty and when friendly silence appeared between them for a moment she managed to ask him  
"Erend, remember when you offered me the place in your house?"  
"Uhm, right." he seemed abashed again.  
"I am really sick of the palace. Don't get me wrong, but..."  
"Yeah, I get it, believe me. I give reports here every day and sometimes I serve here by the Sun King's side. Gossips, nobles, servants, all for the Sun... I know what you mean."  
She sighed with relief. Someone eventually understood her. Avad was a very good man but she didn't really suit his lifestyle and living in his palace was tiring for her. Erend, with his straightforward personality and his love for fight was much more suitable companion for her.  
She almost managed to forget about that kiss. This memory was still wandering somewhere in her mind when she was with him. Although, she was feeling comfortable around him anyway.

She looked in his eyes with a smile.  
"Could I move to your place, umm... tomorrow maybe?"  
"As soon as you wish. You can even move tonight." he answered though he still seemed a bit embarrassed.  
"I must talk with Avad first. I am not sure if I should tell him that I move to your place."  
Erend shrugged his shoulders.  
"Don't ask me. I am just as bad at diplomacy as good I am with my hammer."  
This was pretty much why she liked him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need your advice (especially from those who have their own fics)! Should I briefly describe Aloy's journeys without Erend which happen after some time (and which are included in game itself) or just mention it, assumining that most of readers are Horizon players and they know the story anyway?


	3. Chapter 3

"Avad, I decided that I have used enough of your help. I am very thankful for what you gave me but I am moving to the Erend's place as a guest. I want to spend some time closer to the city and... I really don't feel well staying in the palace for so long."  
Avad seemed concerned, but he understood her point. They had already talked once about how they both don't like the palace that his father had built. He was living like this basically because Carja expected him to. And he didn't want to force her to do it with him.

She had asked Erend to wait. She had been already packed so she just took her things and met Erend by the palace entrance. She was still using crutch for walking but she could feel her leg getting better every day.  
"May I take your things?", he asked and she agreed. Moving with all her gear was still too tiring and it slowed her down even more.  
"Do you want me to... Support you with walking?", he asked again, gazing at her leg.  
"Thanks, but crutch is enough as you took my gear."  
He nodded. She was thankful that he wasn't insisting. He knew that she didn't like the feeling of depending on others.

The darkness had already fell as they walked slowly through the city. Lanterns were lighting the streets, people were walking, coming back homes or going to taverns.  
A few Vanguards passed them, cheering and whistling when they noticed them together. Erend shouted at them to shut up and go back to their business, promising them bonus watch.  
"Sorry about my my boys, they are just childish sometimes.", he apologized, embarrassed. She had an impression that his face went red but she couldn't tell for sure in lanterns’ light. She could tell without concern that she was blushing a little, remembering about his strange behaviour after her first awakening.  
“They don't bother me when I compare them to what Nora were talking about me before the proving." she said with a weak smile.  
"I still can't understand how your tribe can do such cruel things."  
She shrugged her shoulders  
"Carja did pretty worse things with their previous Sun King. And I told you that I don't really feel that Nora people are my tribe."  
"You won't escape from my jokes so easily, you Nora savage!"  
She laughed. He was the only one to call her like this and not irritate her either.

***

They entered the house which turned out to be quite big, in size of Olin’s one. Erend pointed the stairs.  
"There is... Ersa's room. I didn't want to go there, to be honest. I am... still not sure what to do about it. But if you want to stay here, then maybe I will move there to free my room for you."  
She refused, but he didn't care, waving his hand. He showed her other rooms, little kitchen and bathroom. The house was pretty rich, but of course not as lavish as the palace. She suspected that all the ornamentations and other luxuries had already been here when Ersa and Erend moved in.  
She could see table, bookcases, armchairs and couches in the main room although they looked like they weren't used for some time. The whole house actually had a little sad, abandoned appearance. She realised that probably it was painful for him to spend his time here, alone.

Eventually he showed her his room where she was about to stay. This was, with the bathroom, the only room that seemed to be actually used regularly. She could see open book on the commode and her focus managed to scan it before Erend closed it and put it back on his little bookcase.  
"You can unpack here. I will take a few things and move upstairs. Feel like it's your own home."  
She called him before he left  
"Erend, are you sure that you should stay in her room? I don't want you to do it if it's too much for you."  
"I will be fine.", he answered, closing the door gently behind himself.

***  
He took off his armour and went upstairs for the first time since Ersa had been gone. All the things were just like she left them.  
She hadn't even made her bed, he realised and this detail caused him to break, tears already blurring his vision. He tried not to cry out loud, he didn't want to bother Aloy. He just kneeled on the floor, sobbing quietly, thinking about his loss. They had been best friends since childhood. She was always protecting him, leading him, giving him strength. Who was he without her?

He didn't notice knocking of the crutch nor footsteps on the stairs.  
"Erend? Are you alright?... Erend!"  
Was she there?, he thought before he realised that arm touching his shoulder wasn't Ersa's. He tried to stop crying, washing tears away from his face. He stood up, looking at into her eyes, full of worry.  
"You shouldn't go here alone.", he heard her voice. He still couldn't say anything and noticed her... Hesitating. This wasn't in Aloy's style to hesitate.  
She took a step forward, wrapping her arms around him. He hugged her back, feeling his sorrow becoming more remote.  
He wasn't as lonely as he believed.

***  
He was completely crushed, she could see it. She left her crutch, leaning on his chest. He was just hugging her for some time, his breath calming slowly. She felt surprisingly comfortable, feeling the warmth of his body.  
"I thought that I am completely alone, but I was wrong.", she heard him mumbling.  
"We will just walk you back to your bed, can we?"  
He nodded, mumbling something in response. They started they walk. She realised that this was probably looking pretty funny. She was both leaning on him with her broken leg and guiding him. He seemed emotionally exhausted.  
When he was eventually lying on his bed after she just pushed him there, she sat on its edge, exhaling.  
"I just wonder where I should sleep now, huh?"  
She turned her head to look at him and noticed that he was already sleeping. His breath slow and deep, his face calm.  
She realised that she is really tired and considered where to go.  
Eventually, she thought that they are friends and he wouldn't be mad at her if she just lied herself on the other side of his big bed. She fell asleep almost as fast as he did.

***

He woke up pretty late, judging by the light which went inside by the windows placed just below the ceiling.  
He raised himself to sit on the bed and yawned. He looked around the room and got stunned at some point, his mouth opened.  
She was just lying there, her back turned to him. Her slim body moving softly with her breath. Her dense hair, red like the copper, like blaze, like red sands of the desert, was shining a little in sunlight.  
Was this a dream?

He pulled his hand slowly, touching her hair, stroking it gently.  
The situation was somehow surrealistic, but at the same time felt real as hell.  
He pulled his hand back when she groaned and rolled over, looking at him.  
"Um, good morning. I don't want to sound offensive but... Shouldn't you close your mouth?", she said, smiling a little.  
He did with a quiet clap.  
"Good morning, I... I feel like... Em… Did I miss something?"  
She laughed in response which made him even more confused.  
"I hadn’t taken my clutch from upstairs and I decided that you won't be angry if I just lie myself there."  
"Of course I wouldn't be angry if you slept with me! Wait... This wasn't what I..."  
"Easy, Erend.", she laughed "Will you manage to get me my clutch and maybe we can move on?"  
"Yeah, sure!"  
He jumped out of the bed and run upstairs, hoping that she didn't notice his blush.

***

She was happy that she moved to Erend. He had already asked Avad to give him long break from his regular duty in order to go to the Claim. He went to him to get things straight and eventually they agreed that he would appear in the palace once in two days if nothing special happened. Despite this, he was just taking reports from his Vanguard and rest of his time was free. With Avad's note that taking care of Aloy is his duty as well.  
They went for a walks together, a bit longer and faster each day as her leg got better. She liked accompanying him when he was visiting the palace. Avad seemed to be happy with her progressing recovery.  
Erend turned out to be good, although not sophisticated cooker and she enjoyed the meals he was doing for them. He even quit drinking so far. They kept sleeping in one bed, none of them really keen on taking Ersa's bed or a couch, although with separate coverlets. He seemed to be much happier, having her around. Except of one more thing she persuaded him to do.

They were cleaning up Ersa's room. Slowly, packing all her personal things in chests which he was about to take with him to the Claim. He wasn't sure about the idea at first and he was visibly depressed for some time, but eventually she noticed that he seemed more peaceful.  
After few days, when they were finished, sitting on the couch and relaxing, he coughed and started talking  
"I wanted to thank you for this, Aloy. I will take her things to the Claim where we will burn them with her or give some to our family... If I left all of this here, I wouldn't know what to do with them." His voice was sad, but he was calm. "I thought that maybe I should ask Marad to find me another house to move in after I come back... Smaller one."  
She was glad that he dared to think about it. Ersa's loss would still haunt him if he kept living here alone.

***

After a few more weeks her leg was actually cured. The break was pretty clear one, it was healing quickly especially with the herbs and decoctions she was using.  
She was able to walk and run again although she tried not to overload the leg. But she knew that the time for leaving was coming.  
It was late and Erend was already sleeping. They were both prepared for leaving. They planned to wake up with the sunrise, but she couldn't sleep. Suddenly she recalled him having open book when she entered this room for the first time. He didn't read it again. She remembered scanning the pages with her focus. She lied comfortably on her back and opened the file.

The book was talking about Nora and their tradition. Obviously writer wasn't informed very well. After reading the scanned pages she quietly got up and took a few steps to the bookcase with little oil lamp in her hand. She found the book without any problem. It was visibly the newest one. She opened it and noticed table of contents.  
The word "Outcasting" was circled with a pencil.  
She sighed, opening the page mentioned. She read the chapter. Writer was seeing outcasting as an unnecessary cruelty, another prove that Nora is the most savage of the tribes which can be met in the area. Outcasting children wasn’t mentioned.  
She closed the book and got back to bed, extinguishing the light.

***

Erend was going to travel with a group of Vanguards who were especially close to Ersa.  
They were all heading north so she decided to join them for a day or two and catch a mount when their paths separate.  
Vanguards' march was pretty fast but of course not as fast as she could travel. They were mostly silent although she knew that it wasn't normal for them. It was their way to honour Ersa, their beloved leader. Their time to drink, sing, talk and go back to life will come after the burial.

They were taking shifts with carrying Ersa's coffin. Erend was doing it too. She could see that he was subdued, less eager to joke or laugh, but his sorrow wasn't overwhelming him like it had been doing before.  
She wanted to help with coffin too, but he forbid this for her.  
"Think about your leg, Aloy. You've already done much for Ersa. We all know it."  
She didn't have any choice but to agree.

When the sun had already set and she was sitting by the campfire, he sat next to her.  
They were silent for a while, before he spoke.  
"You don't have to do this. You don't have to travel with us.", he said, his quiet voice was blank.  
"We still have the same path."  
"We both know that you can travel way faster."  
She didn't answer for a moment.  
"I was just concerned about you."

***

When they paths were eventually separating, the group stopped nearby the herd of chargers.  
"Could you override two? I want to ride with you for a while.", he asked her. She looked at him, confused, but brought two mounts with her.  
"You can keep going, boys. I will be back soon.", he commanded, before mounting his machine.  
Aloy made her goodbyes and after a few minutes they were galloping together.

When they couldn't see the group of Vanguard anymore, he asked her to stop.  
They dismounted their machines. The dust behind them was slowly falling back to the ground.  
"Aloy, please, don't let them kill you. I won't be there to save you again. Don't lose your attention anymore. Stay alert. All the time.  
I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to you."  
"Don't worry, I learn by my mistakes and I know how to survive in the wild.", she answered with a smile.  
"Nora savage!", he snorted. She could see in his eyes that he was uncertain, before he took a step forward, his putting hand on her shoulder and leaning to her.

He kissed her lips gently, but with the great passion hidden somewhere below the surface. His second arm wrapped around her waist after a second, when she kissed him back faintly, her body acted almost automatically. After a moment during which her mind was totally stunned, he stepped back.  
"I'm sorry... I had too.", he whispered. He mounted his charger, not waiting for her answer. He looked deep into her eyes again.  
"I am... sorry. Again. Be safe, Aloy. Please.", he said quietly.  
When she eventually managed to move, he was already cantering back to his people. She was looking at the dust raised by his mount's hooves before it eventually fell and there were no signs of Erend's presence left.  
Except the memory of his lips and the chaos of her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you're not sure if the girl will punch you, you better escape before she gets a grip.  
> ...Erend's way of thinking, tho.  
> Hope you're enjoying this awkwardness.


	4. Chapter 4

Things happened fast after their paths split up. Her missions lead across the whole land. She learned who she was, why she was born by the machine, why the Old Ones were extinct, why was their knowledge gone. But she couldn't take her time to go through it. She had to act quickly to stop HADES. Her way back to Meridian from the far north was a crazy scud. She knew that the faster she arrive, the bigger is the chance of success.

***

The whole city was already sleeping when she arrived. Palace guards asked her to wait and after a few minutes Avad came to meet her. He was still sleepy, but his eyes opened widely and he was fully awake after he heard the news. He ensured her that the preparations would begin as soon as possible, very worried about his city and its citizens.  
“Have Erend already come back from the Claim?”, she asked a little shyly.  
“Yes, fortunately.”, he said, changing the subject instantly, talking about the defences they can take. He was visibly too concerned about his kingdom to notice that Aloy’s voice sounded strange while she was asking about Erend.

The preparations already began when she was told that Olin's house is now hers. She asked if Erend had moved yet and Marad responded that he had come to Meridian just a few hours before her and they hadn’t spoken about his moving.  
“I will send a messenger to him so as Vanguard can start preparing.”, he ensured her.  
“No need to send your people, I am sure you have many others to give orders to, I can tell him myself”  
Marad looked at her cogitative.  
“I have enough boys to send messages but I won’t interrupt if you need to speak with him.”, he answered after a moment with a half-smile on his face which frustrated her a little.

She left the palace, heading to the Erend’s house. She realised that during her journey she hadn’t really had chance to think deeply about what happened between them. It seemed that Erend felt something about her. She wasn’t sure if she felt something too. She wasn’t used to be close with people. The way she was feeling about Erend was different than than Avad or anybody else, but was it this kind of feelings?

She stood before his door and she realised that she has more important thing to be concerned about. She knocked the door heavily. After a few moments they opened, showing him. He seemed sleepish, his mohawk was touseled and his eyes were blurred. He awoke when he realised who is standing in front of him.

“Oh, Aloy! You’re back. I… I’m… About what happened then…”, he stammered with a blush before she interrupted him.  
“Erend, we have more serious trouble to deal with.”  
He went quiet, looking at her intensively with a silly expression on his face.  
She told him briefly about HADES, the Spire and other things she learned during her journey and he run back into the house, telling her to enter. She waited for him in the main room while he put on his armor and took his hammer.

They left the house. He closed the door and looked at her in the light of nearby lantern.  
“Aloy, about what happened a few weeks ago…”, he started, visibly embarrassed.  
“We can talk about this after the battle, Erend”, she answered softly.  
“Yes, you’re right… I will go and give orders to my people.”, he mumbled before scurrying into the night.

***

 

Vanguards weren’t happy with his orders, but their complaining didn’t matter as they moved on. Erend himself had bigger problem with it. He was slowly walking towards his home, dived deep in his thoughts.  
She appeared suddenly with the news of brooding battle. And… many other which he couldn’t really understand. And she didn’t want to talk about what happened between them, but he wasn’t surprised as they really had bigger problems to deal with. At least she didn’t punch him into his face, right?

He didn’t learn or accomplished so much during his journey, but he was much closer to fully accept his sister death and take responsibility of filling her shoes. Seeing her coffin and things burning gave him relief. Drinking with his friends afterwards washed off his grief like getting sloshed alone in Meridian hadn’t been able to do. Now Aloy was the one who was wandering in his head, thoughts about her constantly harrowing him.

He closed the door of his house and started to took off his gear. He came back from the Claim a few ago. Lying down on his bed, he realised that during weeks of her recovery he got used to her in his everyday routine, to her calm and regular breath at night, to her wit jokes. He actually missed her presence and he knew that what he did before she left might had spoiled everything. He hoped it hadn’t.  
He couldn’t fall asleep for a while. Something in him hoped to hear knocking again. And the silence bothered him. They didn’t touch each other while sleeping in his huge bed, but his mind got used to the sound of her breath, her body moving in bedding. Quietness felt somehow… wrong. 

***

She wasn’t sure what to do. Of course she wanted to have this… honest talk with Erend. But she knew it wasn’t the right time. He had to be confused already with all the information she gave him.  
She found Olin’s house. New door was already put in. She didn’t feel like house was hers. It was too big and too empty. She realised that she felt more comfortable in Erend’s place.

When she lied down, she realised that she didn’t like the silence filling this place. During her whole life she was sleeping inside with Rost or Erend, or other Nora, or just outdoors where her sleep was vigilant and she was always ready to react to any suspicious noise. Not hearing anything was so strange, unnatural.  
Aloy wasn’t used to feeling lonely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it took me long, but my school began. I hope that anybody is still waiting for continuation, enjoy!


End file.
